Fabricated joint for concrete roadway



May 15, 1956 H. WEBB 2,745,324

FABRIOATED JOINT FOR CONCRETE ROADWAY Filed April 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V' v" v INVENTOR LEONARD HUGH WEBB BY WOO@ ATTORNEY May 15, 1956 l.. H. WEBB 2,745,324

FABRICATRD JOINT FOR CONCRETE ROADWAY Filed April 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheel'l 2 l5 Is ls ls le l5 f S A 1 13 I4 f ,f

L |7 Ils I7j INVENTOR LEONARD HUGH WEBB ATTORNEY 2,745,324 Patented'May 1.5 1,956

Y FABRKETED'J FORA (NGRETE' RG'DWAY Leonard H. Webb, Girard, Ohio, assigner to Webcore ASteel Framing- Systems, -Inc.,goungstown, Chio, a cor-` pnrtionoihio... v r

, Application April 19,` 1955, SeriallNo. 503,326'N .f

` aciaims. (ci. .94.. '.;1f1).

This invention relates to improvements in fabricated steel roadway joints of the kind having a vertical web or strip to separate the concrete of the roadway into longitudinally adjacent slabs and having longitudinally extending dowels to interlock the adjacent slabs against independent vertical movement.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of assemblies for the purpose defined which, while being simple in design and economical to produce, have irnproved characteristics as regards stability, rigidity, and ease of handling and use. To this end, the assembly of the invention is entirely prefabricated and is designed for strength and rigidity both for transportation and handling as well as for use so that the dowels employed are automatically properly aligned and held in place during the pouring of the concrete, while the same dowels serve as convenient hand grips in handling the units. Also, the rigidity inherent in the units facilitates the setting of the units on the excavated roadbed and enables quick leveling of the units prior to pouring of the concrete. Further, the construction enables the units to be adequately retained in set position with a minimum of staking.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed speciiication and the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a completed concrete roadway in which the joint assemblies or units of my invention are shown in dotted outline;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line ll-ll of Figure l; and

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary plan and side views, respectively, of the improved roadway joint assembly of my invention as used in the structure of Figures l and 2.

In accordance with usual practice the fabricated steel joints of my invention are intended for use, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, as means to separate the concrete of a roadway into separate adjacent slabs or sections, such as those marked 10, 11 and 12 in the drawing. For this purpose the fabricated joint is built about a vertical web member comprised of a web 13 and a base plate 14 which has a length tailored to the width of the roadway being constructed and a heighth which substantially equals the desired thickness of the concrete on the roadway. Base plate 14 is, of course, welded to the lower edge of the web 13 and is provided primarily to rmly support the assembled joint in proper relation and levelness prior to pouring of the concrete.

Extending at right angles to the web 13 is a pluralityv of horizontally spaced steel dowels 15 which are rigidly welded in apertures punched or otherwise formed in the web 13. As shown, the dowels 15 extend equidistantly on opposite sides of the web plate 13. Extending parallel with the dowels 15 immediately above the base plate 14 are a number of stil formed steel legs 16 which, together with the base 14, supports the assembly on the roadbed while assisting inlildingf the web plate 13 improper vertical position-fand? providingfa rm base onwliich the assembly'rnay be supportedI inftransit and in handling. showngbthe legsl 1:6'are. preferably hanged: and of in'- verted 1U'sli'ape toiprov-ide ai rigid support' and. substantial contact area with the roadbed. Also, this construction facilitates welding offtheleg 16 tothe hase 14' toprovide arigid?structure v "l`:ostabili'zefthe positions and'lalignment off the-dowels 15 iir liandling'as Welllasf duringy pouringof-the concrete, there is welded to the outer end portions of the=dowels l5a`nd-legs=1l ononeside Qttliex vertical-plated?- a' series of braces consisting of alternate formed bars 17 and intermediate straight bars 18. Bars 17 are formedinto triangular shape as shown, and are inserted between one of the legs 16 and an adjacent two of the dowels 15, being securely welded to each of these three contacting members. The outrigged brace thus provided makes for a beam-like structure which rigidly retains the rightangular relation between the dowels and the vertical plate 13. Since the braces 17 are simply bent pieces of hotrolled rod of the order of M4" in diameter a minimum of material is used and the cost is very low. To lend further strength and rigidity to the assembly the straight member rods 18 are hand welded to adjacent dowels 15, and it should be understood that the horizontal members thus provided resist downward or upward deflection of the dowels 15 and rocking movement of the formed braces 17 about the axes of the leg 16.

With the dowels 15 braced in relation to the web members 13-14 as above described in the resulting structure is suiciently rigid and strong to resist all normal impacts in handling and deection caused by pouring of the concrete when the assembly is put to use. strength and rigidity enables the dowels to be used as handles in manipulating assembled units in transportation and in setting the same on the roadbed without danger of misaligning the dowels. It is quite important that the dowels be maintained in alignment during pouring and setting of the concrete since otherwise expansion and contraction of the hardened concrete road sections will cause the skewed dowels to spawl and break od? the end portions of the sections thereby accelerating deterioration of the roadway. All this is accomplished with the use of a minimum weight of low-cost standard steel sections whereby the units are economically practical for larg scale road building operations.

During installation the units are supported on the roadbed by means of the base 14 and the legs 16 and suitable underpinning such as earth ll or stones may be placed under these units for leveling purposes. To hold the units in proper general position duringpouring and setting of the concrete l propose to use a number of suitable stakes engaging the ianges on the legs 16. A suitable stake for this purpose is shown at 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I consider is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A fabricated steel joint assembly for a concrete roadway comprising an elongated plate-like web member mounted on edge, a plurality 'of parallel dowels projecting right-angularly through said web member intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof and longitudinally spaced therealong and rigidly secured to said web, a plurality of stiff legs extending outwardly from the bottorn edge of said web member and being generally parallel with said dowels, said legs being rigidly secured to said web member intermediate pairs of said dowels, longitudinal braces on one side of said web member only between successive dowels and connected to said dowels adjacent the outer end portions thereof, and oppositely inclined braces on said one side of said web member only rigidly connected at their lower ends to said legs and at their Further, this Y f Y s Y 2 upper ends torrsaid dowelsY adjacent the outer end Lportions thereof thereby forming triangularly shapedj supports for said outer end portions of said dowels and providing a, rigid .truss-like structure "to restrain movement of, the said outerV endportions of said dowels in either in supporting the assembly on the sub-grade of the road` way, said legs being formed of at channel-like sectionY longitudinal or vertical directions, the arrangement being such that said; dowelsV arergidly held in parallel relaftion ,during handlingV of the assembly and pouring of the concrete thereabout.Y n y Y i An assembly according to claim 1 further characterized in that said legs extend equally on opposite sides ofV f said web to thereby proyide support overa substantial Vwide, area tomount-said assembly on .the sub-grade of theroadway.VV .t Y- Y `3\.;An Yassemblyaccording to claim 1 further* characterized in that said web member*comprisesV a vertically Vvdisposed web plate` andanmelongated at plate-like base secured to and positioned below said web plate to aid and being rigidly secured at theirk inner ends to said base.

References Cited in the tile of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 

